ibandronate Side Effects
Also known as: Boniva
Analysis of 2,935 adverse event reports submitted to the FDA from 2004 to 2025.
Total Reports
2,935
Death-Related
274
9.3% of reports
Hospitalizations
655
22.3% of reports
Top Indication
Product Used For Unknown Indication
Most Reported Adverse Reactions
Who Reports Side Effects
Gender Distribution
Age Distribution
Reporting Trend by Year
Reactions in Death Reports
Top reactions reported in 274 reports where death was an outcome. These are voluntarily reported and do not establish causation.
| Reaction | Reports |
|---|---|
| DEATH | 125 |
| DIARRHOEA | 70 |
| FALL | 68 |
| ASCITES | 66 |
| AMAUROSIS FUGAX | 63 |
| CARDIO-RESPIRATORY ARREST | 63 |
| DYSPNOEA | 63 |
| EYE PAIN | 63 |
| ALTERED STATE OF CONSCIOUSNESS | 62 |
| BLINDNESS | 62 |
| COMA | 62 |
| HAEMORRHAGIC STROKE | 62 |
| SEPSIS | 62 |
| ARTHRALGIA | 61 |
| HEAD DISCOMFORT | 61 |
| PRURITUS | 61 |
| DIZZINESS | 60 |
| ASTHENIA | 59 |
| CHILLS | 59 |
| COUGH | 59 |
Reactions in Hospitalization Reports
Top reactions in 655 reports where hospitalization was an outcome.
| Reaction | Reports |
|---|---|
| FEMUR FRACTURE | 81 |
| FALL | 61 |
| VOMITING | 42 |
| PYREXIA | 41 |
| DIARRHOEA | 40 |
| PNEUMONIA | 38 |
| NAUSEA | 34 |
| URINARY TRACT INFECTION | 34 |
| ASTHENIA | 33 |
| ANAEMIA | 30 |
| ARTHRALGIA | 30 |
| DRUG INEFFECTIVE | 30 |
| PAIN IN EXTREMITY | 30 |
| HYPERTENSION | 29 |
| OFF LABEL USE | 28 |
| PAIN | 28 |
| DIZZINESS | 27 |
| LOW TURNOVER OSTEOPATHY | 27 |
| STRESS FRACTURE | 27 |
| NEUTROPENIA | 26 |
Nearby — Related Medications
What the FAERS Data Reveals About ibandronate Side Effects
The FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) contains 2,935 voluntary reports linked to ibandronate and its brand equivalents (Boniva), spanning 2004 through 2025. Of those, 274 (9.3%) listed death as an outcome and 655 (22.3%) involved hospitalization. The most common indication reported alongside adverse events was Product Used For Unknown Indication.
Demographic breakdowns help contextualize who is being exposed to the drug. Of reports with known sex, 89% were female and 11% male; age distribution skews toward 65-74, with 525 reports in that bracket. The single most reported reaction is arthralgia with 243 submissions, followed by diarrhoea and nausea.
FAERS is a signal-detection tool, not a scorecard. Reports are voluntary, and a single case may list multiple suspect drugs, so numbers above should not be read as incidence rates or per-patient risk. Widely prescribed drugs naturally accumulate more reports than niche therapies even when individual risk is low. These aggregates are useful for spotting patterns that merit further pharmacovigilance, not for choosing between medications. This page is for educational reference only and is not medical advice — speak with a licensed clinician about any side-effect concerns.
Read our methodology — how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.